Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[rrenault]

No stand-alone Insiang?

[domino harvey]

Wow. What a month.

12 titles total.

- 2 Blu-ray upgrades + 1 bonus feature film
- 9 new BD/DVD releases

Technically one rerelease and one upgrade

[tenia]

What ? 1 upgrade and 1 re-release ? What happened ?

[movielocke]

Wow! I Was Born But on bluray! (shame about the score though, they should have commissioned a new one from the composers that aced the Silent Gangsters eclipse set, they blow sosin's work out of the water).

[captveg]

What ? 2 upgrades ? What happened ?

Good Morning (1959) BD & DVD upgrade w/ I Was Born, But... (1932) bonus feature

Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) BD upgrade (and DVD reissue)

[swo17]

Wow! I Was Born But on bluray!

No guarantee it's not an upscale, but...

[captveg]

Wow. What a month.

12 titles total.

- 2 Blu-ray upgrades + 1 bonus feature film
- 9 new BD/DVD releases

Technically one rerelease and one upgrade

Jeanne Dielman BD upgrade makes 2

[domino harvey]

Ahem, an upgrade adds no new features, a reissue does. Thus, one reissue and one Upgrade

[tenia]

What ? 2 upgrades ? What happened ?

Good Morning (1959) BD & DVD upgrade w/ I Was Born, But... (1932) bonus feature

Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) BD upgrade (and DVD reissue)

I know, it's just that after 2016 0 upgrade year, suddenly, Criterion seems to remember that they can also release some of their older titles on BD.

[captveg]

Wow! I Was Born But on bluray!

No guarantee it's not an upscale, but...

Has Criterion ever upscaled bonus feature films on any of the BD releases that have them? I certainly can't think of any instance of that happening. Often they are in rough shape in regards to film elements, but they've always been HD masters.

[captveg]

Ahem, an upgrade adds no new features, a reissue does. Thus, one reissue and one Upgrade

Well, we're just splitting hairs over semantics then. I've always seen new BD releases based on previous DVD releases referred to as "upgrades" (shortened from "HD upgrades").

[domino harvey]

Indeed, it's just helpful to use the specific terms since each is a different category in our year-end voting

[captveg]

Indeed, it's just helpful to use the specific terms since each is a different category in our year-end voting

Ah. I've never participated in that voting, so that difference in designation was unknown to me.

[Ribs]

I really hope they keep in mind this format of affixing certain Eclipse titles to mainline releases if they're still scared of releasing them on their own; would make a treat if HD masters exist of some of the early Kurosawa or something (I know they don't usually have as clear a link to later films as these do, but it'd still make a big point towards adding value to these upgrades if they're not selling great).

I guess Criterion's betting there's enough interest in Manila from Brocka and in Fengkuei from Hou as standalones down the line. But as someone who still isn't really interested in most of the first WCP set this is so much more up my alley and as was echoed in the thread I'd have probably bought five of them individually anyway (I literally was about to import Revenge just two or three days ago anyway, until I saw it had overlap with the first set).

[movielocke]

that's not the preferred nomenclature!

why not "format upgrade" and "second-edition"

reissue implies "another issuing of the same", for example, 400 blows was "reissued" as a single format bluray on 1/10/17, it was another issuing of the same edition that was originally issued on 3/24/09

400 Blows had a "format upgrade" to bluray on 3/24/09 but no content was changed.

400 Blows had a "Second edition" issued on 5/9/06 which was a distinct content change from the original edition issued on 3/31/98

So for this month one would say that

jeanne dielman is a "format upgrade" no content is changing the only change is the format it is packaged as.

whilst criterion has issued a "second edition" of Good Morning, there are significant changes to content as well as a format change.

[domino harvey]

No

[Cinephrenic]

So we will get at least two more WCF sets and a standalone Pomegranates or Memories of the Underdeveloped.

[Minkin]

Well, after a "lighter" April, we certainly get alot here. I wonder if one of these was meant for April. Anyway, here is your speculation round-up.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles - New Years Clue

Othello - Probably a New Years clue, but also confirmed awhile ago by a Criterion employee (along with Its All True); also on Filmstruck

Good Morning - we'll call this the New Years clue (window) - as I have no clue what else that would be.

Dheepan - New Years clue

Ghost World - Spoiled on twitter by the writer + New Years clue

World Cinema Project vol 2 - Oh dear. Limite, Revenge, Law of the Border were all on Filmstruck. Taipei Story was January's Newsletter clue. Mysterious Object at Noon was a New Years clue. And Insiang is actually the only surprise, stangely enough (Manilla was revealed by that Philippines article I posted, but it didn't mention Insiang, but one could have assumed they would've been paired).
=============================================================
Again, quite the month!

We finally get some upgrades this year, and are now down to 278 titles left to upgrade/reissue to bluray.

I wasn't expecting a return of Dual Formats - but perhaps Criterion doesn't have DVD rights, or far more likely - they thought it made more financial sense to sell this way. I wonder if they'll do further Dual Formats for random titles, when it makes the most sense. Great, now I get to update the dual format list again.

Embarrassingly, I knew Dheepan was coming, but thought it was a Bollywood film from the 50s. Whoops.

Does this mark the first upgrade of an Eclipse title? Its still to be determined if it will have any different of a transfer, but its still noteworthy that an Eclipse film has been rescued from Eclipse-purgatory. I still wouldn't be all that surprised if certain surprise hits make it to their own, separate release (Daisies).

World Cinema Project vol 2 is quite the surprise. Everyone thought Insiang was going to be paired with Manilla - which could then be a future individual release (it at least has the interest of the Philippine community). People have been asking for Limite for years, so I wonder how they feel about getting it alongside these other films. I suppose thats the thing - its sorta strange to get some of these higher profile films all boxed together, with less supplements, but in the longshot - who cares? You get 6 of these films in one purchase. I must say, its rather weird to have a boxset where there's been this many variations in speculation (new years, newsletter, filmstruck, then a surprise).

I'm sure Criterion has the rights to all of the remaining and future WCP films, but only But Film is My Mistress (this seems like it would be tacked onto something else) and Manilla in the Claws of Light have been guaranteed confirmed at this point (of the 13 possible WCP films + another 2 films that are still being restored).

[andyli]

Has Criterion ever upscaled bonus feature films on any of the BD releases that have them? I certainly can't think of any instance of that happening. Often they are in rough shape in regards to film elements, but they've always been HD masters.

It has happened many times before. Passionless Moments on Sweetie, Toute la mémoire du monde on Last Year at Marienbad, The Traveler on Close-Up, and the list goes on and on... Although I'd bet I Was Born, But... will feature a decent HD (albeit old) transfer since BFI has put it out on blu-ray already.

[swo17]

It was DVD-only on the BFI release.

[andyli]

Oh yes I mistook it for The Only Son.

[Saturnome]

I wouldn't expect anything other than a very soft image for I was born, but...

For my taste this is the best month in years. WCP vol. 2 is a dream release.

[movielocke]

I wasn't expecting a return of Dual Formats - but perhaps Criterion doesn't have DVD rights, or far more likely - they thought it made more financial sense to sell this way. I wonder if they'll do further Dual Formats for random titles, when it makes the most sense.

***

Does this mark the first upgrade of an Eclipse title?

I wonder if the dual format WCP is to maintain continuity with the earlier release or was a preference by Scorsese or it might also be an acknowledgement that the last set sold really poorly and it's only economical to release them this way. I sold the last set because it's such a space waster and none were quite enough of a personal favorite to force me to keep it. I hope it doesn't mean fewer libraries will buy the set.

As for additional DF, I imagine Princess Bride DF (with novel) Has got to be the most likely possibility.

I think it's the first eclipse, apt as it was primarily the first title really talked about it obviously would be upgraded, at least until daisies came out. At least it won't be window boxed any more.

[Minkin]

I wasn't expecting a return of Dual Formats - but perhaps Criterion doesn't have DVD rights, or far more likely - they thought it made more financial sense to sell this way. I wonder if they'll do further Dual Formats for random titles, when it makes the most sense.

As for additional DF, I imagine Princess Bride DF (with novel) Has got to be the most likely possibility.

I too thought the end of DF meant the end of books (Red River, Picnic at Hanging Rock), but it looks like Blow-up ushers in a new era of books (well, I suppose it could still not be a sizable book, as nobody's seen it yet). I think their reasoning for not doing books was costs of printing two sizes of books - but that just seems absurd. Just print a blu-ray size book and then make a cardboard holder in the DVD-sized case for it (will be interesting to see if that's what they do for Blow-up).

Seems rather unceremonious that the first Eclipse rescue is just a tacked-on special feature.

[felipe]

Is Limite the first Brazilian film released by Criterion?